Jahara: Guan Eng twisting my words
GEORGE TOWN: State opposition leader Datuk Jahara Hamid slammed Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng for “manipulating” her statement on the inflated budget next year.
Speaking on the sidelines of the state assembly sitting here yesterday, Jahara said Lim was trying to confuse the people with his explanation on the matter.
“Why is he trying to twist and turn what I said?
“I had merely said that when PDC repaid the loan to the government, it would appear as revenue for the government. That is a fact,” she said, countering Lim’s statement at a separate press conference earlier.
Lim had called Jahara a “liar” for accusing the state government of manipulating figures in the state budget.
The chief minister has come under fire over the huge amount allocated to his office and the state secretary’s office under the Penang Budget 2017.
It was reported that both offices had been given a staggering RM707 million.
Following an outcry over the amount, Lim explained that the budget was inflated as RM609 million would be given as a loan to state
investment agency, Penang Development Corporation (PDC).
PDC was given the loan to expand its land bank in Seberang Prai, among others, he said.
However, Jahara had on Thursday said the loan to PDC was not necessary as PDC had acquired land using its own funds.
She also said it was odd for a loan to be extended to PDC as the allocation
could have been channelled through the state’s consolidated funds.
She said that PDC would have already made a lot of money from previous land sales, such as the Batu Kawan estate land.
Jahara questioned why the huge profit earned from the land sale could not be used to expand PDC’s land bank.
“Today, the state government increases the allocation and at the end of the year it will say: ‘Look, we have increased our revenue.’ The people will have forgotten that this is a loan repayment.
“This is a manipulation of figures,” she was quoted as saying.
In response to Lim’s denial, Jahara said she stood by her comment.
She said that instead of building a landbank, the state government was resorting to reclamation and selling it off.
“We are not interested in what the developers want... our priority should be what the people want.”
Lim yesterday was disappointed with Malaysian Nature Society Penang branch adviser D. Kanda Kumar for commenting on the inflated budget.
Kanda had expressed concern at the rate the state government was selling off its state land.
“I am disappointed with Kanda for trying to act smart.
“This is not the first time he is speaking against us.
“Just admit that he is a Barisan Nasional supporter rather than hiding behind the banner of the nongovernmental organisation when attacking us,” Lim said.